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' C. B. RICE. f

Y OSCILLATING STEAM ENGINE.

' N0 ."`4413,965. A. v Y Patented O Gt. 29, 1889'.

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No; 413,965. .f Patented 0015.29, 1889.

STATES g PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLEs B; RICE; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIcNOR To THE RICE .e wHITd ACRE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF sAME PLACE.

OSCILLATING STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 413,965, dated October 29, 1889.

` 'l Application filed September 11.v 1888i. Y Serial No. 285,123. (No model.)

.To all ugh/0711, t mag/concern:

Beit known 'that L'CHARIIES B. RICE, of

Chicago, in'v the` county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to `the letters of reference marked thereon, Io which form a part of this specification. l

This invention relates to improvements .in steam-engines of that class known as oscillating engines, or engines of that kind wherein the engine-cylinder is supported upon I journals ortrunnions and lthe piston-rod is connected directly with the crank-shaft.

The invention embraces improvements in. the steam-valve,piston-rod bearing, and oth er parts of such engines, as will hereinafter fully 2O appear.

As far as it relates to the steam-valve of the engine the invention embraces improvements in an engine described and shown in Reissued Letters Patent No..9,35l, granted to z 5 H. K. Kriebel, August 24E, 1880, wherein such valveis formed by a convex oylindric surface upon the cylinder, arranged .concentric with ,the pivotal axis thereof,`and containing ports communicating with the opposite ends of the 3o cylinder, in connection with a sliding valvechest containing ports which communicate withV the live-steam and exhaust passages of the engine, and which is held against the said convex surface by spring-pressure.

The `invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the -appended claims.

` In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a steam-engine embodying 4o the same, the engine beingof the kind more particularly adapted for the use as a launch or boat engine. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same,'taken upon 'line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figf isan .enlarged detail section takenupon line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. L.tis an enlarged detail section of a stuffing-box for the piston-rod. Fig. 5 is a section taken upon line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6. -is a detail section taken upon line@ 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 illus- 5o trates' lin section the parts adjacent to the `valve commonly constructed for stationary engines. I'Fig. Sis a sectional view similar to Fig. 7,'illustrati1`ig a modified construction in Y ythe steam-valve. 5 Improvements in Oscillating Steam-Engines and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referyThe engine herein shown is upright in form, with the cylinder arranged at the top of the frame and the crank-shaft near theY ibottom thereof, this form of engine being' necessary for use in boats or launches, and a desirable one for small stationary engines 6o for reasons that will hereinafter appear. *The novel features of construction claimed may, however, be applied to engines of other forInsl-as, forinstance, they may be used 1n horizontal engines and in casesV where the 65 cylinder and steam-valve are t-he lower part of the frame, as illustrated in the said Reissued Letters Patent No. 9,3511, hereinbefore referred to.

As illustrated in the said drawings, A indi- 7o cates as a whole the en gineframe having the general form of upright en gine-frames as heretofore made, and provided at its lower end with bearings for the horizontal crank-shaft B.

C is the cylinder, which is provided at its "upper end with horizontal trunnions c c, constructed to engage bearings A A upon the frame A, at the upper part thereof. Said trunnions c c are herein shown as cast integral with lthe upper head C of the cylinder; but they 8O `may be otherwise formed or constructed as may be found convenient or desirable in practice. D is the piston, and D the piston-rod,which latter passes through a gland C3 in the lower 85 cylinder-head C2 and engages the crank-pin lb of the shaft B in the manner usual in oscillating engines. At the upper en d of the cylinder the latter is provided with a projection E, having a cylindric ,surface F. concen- 9o tric with the axis of the cylinder-trunnions c c, and which forms the valve-seat of the steam- Valve. ln said valve-seat is formed a steam-a y port e, leading from the cylindric surface thereof to the adjacent end of the cylinder, and a second steam-port e', leading from said cylindric surface to a longitudinal passage e2, formed in the side wall of the cylinder and opening into the lower end thereof.

F is a sliding hollow box or valve provided roo with a concave surface F, which fits against and rests in contact with the cylindric valveseat E of the cylinder. Said valve F is provided with two exhaust-ports f f', leading from its concave bearing-face to its hollow interior, and with a third port fwhieh extends through a solid central part f3 of the said valve to the upper surface thereof. The valve F is fitted to slide vertically within a cylindric casing or valve-chest G, attached to the upper end of the frame A in the manner illustrated. Said valve is arranged to fit closely within the said casing G, so that it may slide accurately in a vertical direction, but does not form a steam-tight joint therewith. The valve and valve-chest are conveniently but not necessarily cylindric in shape.

H is a hollow casting secured to the top of the casing G, or otherwise immovably supported upon or over the machine-frame, said casting being provided with two parallel steam-passages 7L h', the lower ends of which are vertical and open through the lower surface of said casting Il.

I I are two pipes or tubes, which are secured to the sliding valve and extend upwardly into and slide vertically within the passages 7L 7L'. One of said tubesI communicates with the steam-port f2 of the valve F, while the other tube I communicatesat its lower end with the exhaust space or opening of the valve.

.I J are glands or stuliing-boxes, located at the lower ends of the passages 71, h" of the casting H and surrounding the tubes l I', s6 as to lallow vertical movement of said tubes with the valve while preventing the escape of steam between the said tubes and the casting H.

G G are springs, herein shown as made of spiral form, inserted between a horizontal top wall g of the casing or valve-chest G and the upper surface of the valve F. Said springs serve to hold the valve in cont-act with the valve-seat E of the cylinder, thereby maintaining a steam-tight joint between said parts as the cylinder is oscillated.

G2 indicates an additional spring inserted between the valve and the top Wall g of the casin g to afford adjustment of the pressure of the springs. Said spring is provided with an adjustable abutment formed by a screw-shaft G3, which is inserted in the top plate g and bears against the top of the spring. The spring is herein shown as made of leaf form, with its ends resting upon the top of the valve and its raised ,center in contact with the screw-shaft; but a spring of other form may be employed in its place with the same result. Said screwshaft is provided with a radially-apertred collar, which may be reached by an implement through a horizontal slot g2 in the side wall of the casing G, to enable the screwshaft to be turned up or down and the pressure of the spring thereby varied as desired.

In Figs. '1, 2, and 3 the casing H is shown as provided atits top with a steam-inlet opening H and at its side with an exhaust-passage H2. Said steam inlet and exhaust passages are adapted to be brought into communication with either of the passages h 7L by means of a rotary valve K, actuated by a lever K. This construction is employed in marine or boat engines to afford aconvenient means of reversing the engines. For stationary engines, however, the construction shown in Fig. 7 may be employed, wherein steam and exhaust pipes H3 and l-I4 are connected with the upper end of said casting H and communicate directly with the separate passages h h of said casting, within which passages the tubes I I slide, as above set forth.

The object of the construction described, embracing the tubes I I', secured in the sliding valve and having sliding engagement with the cast-ing H, is to enable the said valve-chest to be held by the backing-springs in close contact with the valve-seat of the cylinder, while at the same time maintaining a steam-tight joint in the connections between the sliding valve and the stationaryinlet and exhaust pipes of the engines. It being entirely A obvious that when the valve Fis moved slightly in its bearing, owing to the wearing away of the surfaces in contact or from other causes,

L or by expansion of the tubes, the tubesI and I will slide or move endwise through the glands J J', so that the valve may remain at all times in close bearing against the valve-seat. The said Reissued Letters Patent No. 9,351 contains the same feature ,of a sliding valve IOO held by springs'against a valve-seat upon a" segmental projection of the cylinder. In the engine shown in that patent, however, steamtight joints between the inlet and exhaust passages of the sliding valve and the stationary steam-passages leading to the same are formed by means of packing-rings eX- tending entirely around the circumference of the valve.

It is well known that it is extremely difficult to make an effective and reliable steamtight joint between a cylinder of large size and an exterior casing, and in engines made iu the manner shown in said reissued patent the valves have been found diiicult and eX- pensive to construct and very liable to leak 'or otherwise get out of order. Owing to the great length of the packing-rings in contact with the sliding valve just described, furthermore, a compression of said rings sufficient to make tight joints produces considerable pressure upon the surface of the valve, thereby producing a degree of friction tending to greatly retard its movement and thus prevent the prompt and sensitive movement of the valve under the action of the backingsprings. In such prior construetion,furthe1 more, steam escaping through the packingrings is liable to get behind the sliding valve, thereby pressing the same against the seat with undesirable and unnecessary pressure.

'In my improved construction above described I employ, in place of a plurality of packing-rings acting upon the exterior of the valve, two small glands engaging.l two separate` small tubes I I', which are attached to and move with the valve. The necessary steam-tight joints may by this construction be cheaply and easily made, while at the same time interference with the free movement of the valve by an excess of frictional resistance is prevented, owing tothe small size of the glands employed. y

The spring G2, provided with an adjustable abutment, affords'anotherfeature of improvement, said'springenabling thepressure of the valve-check against the cylinder C to be easily and quickly adjusted, according to the steam-pressure employed and other circumstances. It will of course be understood that anadjustment of such pressure is desirable, inasmuch as no more spring-pressure is required than is sufticient to prevent the steam-chest being forced away from the cylinder by the steam-pressure acting in a space equal to the areaof the ports, and any additional spring-pressure will tend to increase the friction between the valve and its seat without producing any corresponding benefit.

The steam-valve in the engine, made as above described, is operated by the oscilla-- tory movement of the cylinderin the manner heretofore common in oscillating steam-engines. When the cylinder is at one limit of its throw, one of the ports, as c, Fig. 2, will be in communication with the exhaust-passage through one of the exhaust-ports j" of the valve F, while the other port e of theV cylinder will be in communication with livesteam passage f2, this position of the parts being illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. At the opposite limit of the throw of the cylinder the port e will be brought -into communication with .the exhaustport f of the valve, while the port e will be in position to take live steam from the passage f2. It will of course be understood that in reversing the engine by the use of the reversing-valve K the ports f f become live-steam ports and the port f2 the exhaust-port.

The same general results obtained bythe use of the construction above described may be obtained by the construction illustrated in j Fig. 8, wherein the tubes I I are secured to a which are secured by screw-joints in the lower stationary part of the casting containing the steam inlet and outlet` passages and have sliding connection with the valve, the stuffing boxes or glands in this instance being formed in or upon the valve instead of upon the stationary part of thecasting. As illustrated in said Fig. S, I I are the said tubes,

ends of the passages `h It of the casting I-I,

which, in this instance, is located in contact.

with ythe casing G; and .I J are glands formed in the upper parts of the valve F and surrounding the tubes, so that the lattermay slide freely within the openin gs in the top of the valveras the latter is moved/byY the backing-springsA Itwill be understood from the abovel that my invention is not limited tothe particularv construction illustrated in the tubes and glands surrounding the same,.but the append-1 ed claims are intended to cover said parts however the latter are disposed or arranged. y

In an oscillating engine the piston-rod acts with considerable lateral pressure upon the gland or bearing-apertureinthe cylinderhead,.owing to the fact that the cylinder is -bodily4 moved by the action of the piston-rod alone, and it is desirable, therefore, not only4 that the steam-tight joint shouldbe formed at this point, but that the joint should be capable of resisting lateral pressurev and adapted to be easily replaced without disturb-f ing the other parts of the engine. To attain these ends I provide a construction in the said bearing as follows: As more clearly-- shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the lower cylinderhead C2 is provided with a tubular projection c', which is recessed to receive the packing c2 of the gland in the usual manner. L is a bushing or bearing ring made of brass, Babbitt, or other softv metal or other material used `for bearings, and inserted in the outerend of` the tubular projection c and fitting closely against the piston-rod. Said bearing-ringis made of two or more parts or sections to enable it to be easily removed or placed in position when desired without disconnecting`V the piston-rod. M indicates a screw-threaded thimble,which isengaged with an interior screw-thread upon the tubular projection c,

an-'d is arranged to engage the bushing L in such manner as to hold the same in place and to thrust it inwardly for the purpose of compressing the packing c2. The bushing is desirably provided with a flange Z, adapted to be engaged by an inwardly-extending fiange'm ICO upon the thimble M, which flange m embraces Y the yimportant advantage that the bushing forming its bearing-surface mayeasily be renewed when too much worn forV further use and a new bushing easily and quickly substituted. Another important advantage of this construction is that in the use of a bushing of soft metal or other material adapted for use in bearings any Wear which takes 'place comes upon the bushing andnot upon the piston-rod, the life of which is thus-prolonged. It will of course be understood that the thimble M may be held in place by a screwthreaded connection with the part c', or otherwise, asrdesired.

In a marine or boat engine constructedfas herein described itis highly important that the crankshould be held accurately in position with relation to the cylinder, notwithl The adjustable bearing O illustrated con-V sists of two parallel bearing-rings O O2, arranged at opposite sides of a collar B2 upon the shaft B. The rings O O2 are supported from the engine-frame by means of two or more rigid screw-threaded studs P P, attached "to the frame and passing through holes in said rings O O2, parallel with the shaft. Upon said screw-studs P P are placed nuts p p, arranged to bear against opposite sides of both bearing-rings, so that the latter may be adjusted toward or from each other, or both of said rings may be adjusted toward and from the engine-frame, as necessary or desirable for the purpose set forth.

P P indicate loose rings or washers placed between the collar B2 and the bearing-rings, so as to provide a plurality of bearing-surfaces, either one of which washers may move in case of heating of the bearing-surfaces, as common heretofore in thrust-bearings for marine engines.

The form of engine described, wherein the cylinder and stealn valve are at the top of the frame, is obviously an exceedingly convenient one, for the reason, among others, that the reversing andthrottle Valves are by this construction brought into a position convenient for the engineer, and this form 0f engine is therefore preferred for stationary as Well as marine engines.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with an oscillating cylinder, of a steam-valve for the same, consisting of a convex cylindric valve-seat attached to and moving with the cylinder, a movable part or sliding valve tting against the said valve-seat and containing steam inlet and exhaust passages, a stationary part also provided With steam inletand exhaust passages, and separate steam supply and exhaust tubes connecting said movable part or sliding valve With'said stationary part, said tubes being attached to one part and sliding in the other part, said part in which the tubes slide being provided with packing rings .or glands surrounding said tubes, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an oscillating cylinder provided with a convex cylindric valveseat, of a sliding part or valve provided with steam inlet and outlet passages and fitting against said valve-seat, an engine-frame provided with cylindric casin g or valve-chest G, within which the said Valve fits and slides, a spring located Within said casing and pressing against the sliding valve, and an adjusting-screw engaging the Wall of the casing and bearing on the spring, said screw having a nut inside the casing, and the casing being provided with a hole for the insertion of a wrench to turn the adjusting-screw, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afIix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES B. RICE.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, F. W. JENKINS. 

